How to Keep Your Crawl Space Pest Free

Most homeowners will agree that a pest infestation can be one of the
most damaging, costly problems your home can face. Invasive pests and
animals will often take up residence in your house if the conditions
are right for feeding and/or nesting. One of the most commonly
infested areas of the home is the crawl space, or subfloor.Luckily for
homeowners, pest control for your home's crawl space is as simple as
keeping the area clean, maintaining a tidy yard, securing entrances
and controlling moisture. The following is a brief synopsis of the
most common types of crawl space pests, how to prevent them from
moving in, and what to do if you already have an infestation.Types of
pestsThe first step in pest prevention is knowing the most common
types of pests and what types of conditions attract them.Wood
Destroying Organisms (WDOs): WDOs are some of the most common and
destructive pests that can get into your home. Types of WDOs include
termites, moisture ants and carpenter ants. These pests can destroy
your home from the inside out, consuming wood and materials inside
your home's walls. Because these pests are so small, they are often
difficult to notice until they have caused major
damage.Rats/Mice/Moles: Small rodents are attracted to areas that
provide them with food, shelter and a place to breed. Walls and crawl
spaces provide exactly those things. Like WDOs, rats, mice and moles
can gnaw and chew away structurally necessary parts of your home, like
beams and walls. They are also unsanitary and unpleasant to have
around.Raccoons/Possums: These pests are less likely to take up
residence in your house, but if they do they can be a pain to get rid
of. Raccoons and possums can be aggressive, attacking household pets,
and they can also carry nasty diseases like rabies. Keeping a clean
crawl space with few entranceways is the best pest prevention tactic
for raccoons and possums.Snakes: It's obvious why you wouldn't want an
infestation of snakes in your crawl space -- they're creepy, they can
clog drains and some of them are poisonous. Snakes are attracted to
crawl spaces with lots of standing water, so keeping your subfloor
clean is important.Ways to get rid of existing pestsThe best way to
get rid of household pests is to call a professional pest control
service. Many do-it-yourself attempts don't wipe out the entire pest
population, which can cause the pests to return -- sometimes even
worse than before. Also, some pest control methods can be harmful to
humans or pets. Look for pest control service that offers crawl space
restoration and can offer a holistic approach to pest control.Other
pest prevention tacticsThe best way to avoid the hassle of trying to
get rid of a pest infestation is to take steps to prevent one from
happening in the first place. Proactive pest prevention is also one of
the most important elements of green pest control. Here are the four
best ways to keep pests from shacking up in your crawl space:Clean.
Keeping a clean house and crawl space is very important. Pests are
attracted to food and shelter, so it makes sense that they would be
attracted to a house with lots of garbage or junk left out. Don't
worry -- you don't need to keep you crawl space spotless. Simply make
sure there isn't anywhere for pests to camp out, such as piles of old
clothes or bags of trash.Maintain your yard. Most pests will move into
your home only after setting up shop somewhere in your yard. Move
piles of wood, bricks, stones and leaves away from the house; trim
bushes and trees; cover hot tubs or pools; and get rid of dead wood.
This will reduce the number of places pests will be able to live
in.Secure entrances. Leaving your crawl space open is a surefire way
to attract pests, especially rodents and small mammals. Putting up
barriers at the entrances to your crawl space will prevent these pests
from becoming squatters.Control moisture. This is a big part of pest
prevention. Moisture, especially standing water, attracts all sorts of
pests and can also damage your home's foundation. Make sure you repair
pipe damage in a timely manner, keep the crawl space well ventilated,
replace old weather stripping and clear up clogged gutters around or
on your property.